Special Features

While the temperature was an unseasonal 62 degrees, it was definitely Chanukah at this year’s Chabad Chanukah on Ice - a fun-filled celebration at the Trump Wollman Ice Skating Rink in Central Park.

The rink was filled with hundreds of children, and adults who want to be children, all dressed up in their ice skating finest. The event featured upbeat and inspirational music by the Maccabeats and tons of great food, including hot dogs and “sufganiyot” (donuts).

The centerpiece of the evening was the lighting of the giant hand-carved Ice Menorah along with its companion ice Dreidel. The Menorah was lit by Rabbi Chayim Alevsky, with musical accompaniment by the Maccabeats. Rabbi Alevsky underscored how the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel

A massive crowd of supporters from the Jewish community and beyond filled the ballroom at the Grand Hyatt New York at this year’s Chabad Children of Chernobyl (CCOC) Gala Dinner on November 19 to demonstrate their appreciation of the organization that does everything possible to care for the countless children suffering the aftereffects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster nearly 26 years ago.

The evening was highlighted by the appearance of various “entertainment” personalities, which is the

Growing up, Chanukah was always my favorite holiday. I mean, isn’t Chanukah every kid’s favorite holiday? There were presents and Chanukah parties nightly, latkes and chocolate coins, sitting around and singing endless songs with my family. While I didn’t necessarily find so much beauty or enjoyment in other aspects of Judaism as I grew up, Chanukah always remained the one holiday I felt a strong connection to.

Menorah lightings to mark the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah are planned near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the Ellipse in Washington D.C. and in many other cities around the world.

In London, a menorah lighting is scheduled for Dec. 10, at 6 p.m. in Trafalgar Square. In Paris, a lighting planned for Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. will include a concert with live Jewish music and a live video link to menorah lightings in New York and Jerusalem at the Western Wall. In Berlin, the

Any voracious reader can attest to the fact that the literary world is brimming with riveting memoirs - some poignant, some tragic, some humorous, some inspirational and some intellectually stimulating. Little did I know when I began reading Joseph Aboudi’s “From Syria to Palestine: My Fight For A Jewish State” that this compelling narrative would be a palpable combination of all of the above.

For those not in the know, Mr. Aboudi is a prominent resident of Brooklyn’s Syrian Jewish community